Review: The Comedy About Spies (Adelphi Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

There's something to be said about spreading a bit of Mischief around the West End. Mischief comedy, that is. Since the unstoppable debut of The Play That Goes Wrong, they have been on a quest for world domination, or at the very least, West End domination. While that other show still plays to packed audiences at the Duchess Theatre in its 12th year, a couple of minutes away sees one of their newer offerings, The Comedy About Spies, return for an encore run, this time in its new home at the Adelphi Theatre. Now, if you look at the poster outside, you will see my five stars from last year, and a glance above this paragraph will confirm I have not moved from that rating, so is there really anything more to say that I didn't say in my original review? I love a good challenge when I spy one so mission accepted.

Sending up the tropes of your generic spy movies, The Comedy About Spies riffs on the genre by setting the action in 1960s London, namely the Piccadilly Hotel. There, CIA and KGB spies check in separately in pursuit of plans for a top-secret weapon, but they aren’t the only guests. They are joined by a young couple on very different pages to each other, and an actor focused on his audition for the lead role in the James Bond film… if only he could remember the character’s name. If that isn’t stressful enough, there is also a secret shopper on the prowl who could take away the hotel’s elusive fourth star. But is everybody who they say they are? With secret identities, double agents and people changing sides more often than politicians in 2026, who will come out on top?

Now, you don’t tend to go to a Mischief show for the plot - it is the promise of comedy that lures the audience in, with their faultless hit rate ensuring you may well split your sides before the end of the show. However, The Comedy About Spies impressively crams in more plot than ever before, leading to well-rounded characters that are perhaps surprisingly far less one-dimensional than their deceptively caricature nature would suggest. Recognisable tropes are played on, with expectations subverted for almighty payoffs. This works in the show’s favour, meaning the comedy lands even harder as you are rooting for the characters, be it the hapless Douglas or loveably innocent and naive Bernard.

It is no coincidence that those two characters are played by the two writers of The Comedy About Spies, and two of the three people responsible for making Mischief the global brand it is today. Henry Lewis and Henry Shields certainly know a thing or two about comedy, as has been proven with The Play That Goes Wrong and all the subsequent Goes Wrong shows, but breaking free of that brand allows them to try a much wider variety of comedy. The Comedy About Spies has moments of farce, slapstick and clowning, all merging together to create expert comedy. While aspects of the show may seem utterly ridiculous and completely stupid, the skill behind this should never be underestimated, and it takes a lot of intelligence to be this stupid. Dare I say that Lewis and Shields are among the finest comedy writers in the UK right now, with their unrivalled creativity showing no danger of running out anytime soon. Some of the things they come up with may feel absurd, but somehow still rooted in realism. Their refusal to go for low-hanging fruit and up the ante when it comes to their creativity in search of the perfect joke is refreshing to see, and even a groan-worthy pun can be applauded for its ingenuity.

Having seen most of Mischief’s shows over the years, I suspected upon my first visit to The Comedy About Spies last year that this may be their best, or certainly my favourite. Yes, calling anything better than The Play That Goes Wrong should be treated as a crime, I know. Well, lock me up and interrogate me until I change my answer but I am not budging - a repeat visit confirms this show is Mischief at their best. The hit-rate of jokes is flawless, never missing and leading to an unrelenting fire of gags from start to finish. Literally, from the start. The frantic and frenetic opening playing up to agents known only by single letters is comedy gold - a single sketch that sets up the world of Spies and lets you know the impeccable standard about to be witnessed.

Returning to the West End following a break and moving to a different theatre has allowed the Mischief team to come up with something slightly different to its initial run, and the result is a bigger and better version of The Comedy About Spies than last year’s inaugural outing. Much of that can be credited to Matt DiCarlo’s direction, a longtime collaborator of Mischief who knows the humour of Lewis and Shields perfectly, finding the best ways to bring these weird and wonderful gags to life on stage. The intricacies required for the direction of this show can never be underestimated, ensuring everything lands as intended (apart from a rogue dummy at the gala performance missing its mark, leading to amused reactions from the cast).

DiCarlo’s direction comes into its own through some truly impressive set pieces. David Farley’s design is stunning in how it replicates the aesthetic of 1960s London and recognisable spy tropes while bringing its own flair of absurdity and comedy to the mix- be it an oversized prop or some small detail that will have a payoff at some point throughout the show. There are some huge set pieces to be found here, with a particularly thrilling moment involving a tube train and a brilliant scene involving a lift shaft (or elevator for any Americans reading this). However, the pièce de résistance belongs to what is affectionately known as the “Battenberg” set. Surely one of the greatest ideas Mischief have ever come up with, it features four separate hotel rooms connecting to each other and always visible. The results, as you would expect, are frequently hilarious, but the cleverness in pulling this off is one of the more ambitious and audacious things Mischief has ever attempted.

Of course, it comes down to an expert cast full of naturally funny bones to make these moments land, with The Comedy About Spies boasting a mix of familiar Mischief faces to bring these outlandish characters to life. Henry Shields becomes an involuntary leading man in what is essentially an ensemble piece with his beautifully sweet portrayal of Bernard Wright, paired with Adele James for large portions of the play as one of the most awkward and uncomfortable couples you will ever see on a West End stage. As Rosemary Wilson, James masters the art of giving a more understated performance and biding her time to make these smaller choices land as heavily as her co-stars’ larger ones, with a payoff of her own at some point (no spoilers, of course).

A major dynamic of the play is the two different spy pairings, with Dave Hearn and Nancy Zamit hilarious as mother and son, Lance and Janet Buchanan. They are responsible for some of the funniest moments of the show, with Hearn at his comedic best every time they make another blunder and react accordingly. In an energetic performance, Hearn finds himself pulled every which way in one of the standout performances of the night, with Zamit always ready to come in with the perfect one-liner. Bryony Corrigan and Chris Leask play the other spies, Elena Popova and Sergei Ivanov, ensuring no shortage of standout moments of their own. Leask’s character has one of the best recurring gags with his insistence on a convincing backstory, while Corrigan’s brilliantly harsh Elena ensures a great “odd couple” dynamic between the pair.

Greg Tannahill may have a comparatively smaller role as the hotel employee, Albert Tipton, but he more than holds his own as the figurative glue that holds it all together, interacting with all parties and popping up out of nowhere in some increasingly hilarious moments. This is usually at the expense of Douglas Woodbead, played by a scene-stealing Henry Lewis, in what is undoubtedly the performance of the night. Lewis has the kind of stage presence most could only dream of, and even though he isn’t always part of the main story, you won’t have long to wait before his hilarious accident-prone character pops up. Douglas Woodhead must be one of the greatest comic characters Mischief have ever created, and Lewis is at his best in this fantastically larger-than-life role.

The Comedy About Spies was one of my favourite shows of last year, but comedy doesn’t always lend itself well to repeat viewing, meaning there was no guarantee I would love my return visit just as much. I needn’t have worried. Mischief really are the masters of comedy with nobody doing it quite like they do - this means you can watch a show such as this or The Play That Goes Wrong time and time again, and still find things to laugh at, even if you know exactly what is coming. Though this show has been rehearsed as thoroughly as possible, there is always the sense of spontaneity in the performance, with the feeling no two performances will ever be completely identical, thanks to the differing reactions and timings each time. Still the funniest show in the West End, Mischief Comedy has struck gold once again in what I am certain is their greatest accomplishment to date. The Piccadilly Hotel may be struggling to hold on to its four-star rating, but The Comedy About Spies is at no risk of losing its five stars anytime soon. If the aim was to create comedy perfection, consider this mission accomplished.

The Comedy About Spies plays at the Adelphi Theatre for eight weeks only, finishing its run on 26th September. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/the-comedy-about-spies-tickets

Listen to my exclusive chat with Henry Lewis and Henry Shields on the next episode of my podcast, All That Chat, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube from Sunday 16th August. Listen here

Photos by Helen Maybanks